The Most Feared Military Organization in NationStates
The Black Hawks are of one of the best known and most dangerous raider regions in the history of NationStates. We credit our success to the strong personalities that compose our leadership, a helpful and supportive atmosphere for new members, a firm military discipline on the battlefield (in combination with the levity and humor befitting an online game), and Raider Unity, as the guiding force behind our foreign affairs.
This is not a chat thread. This is a news thread. As such, discussion should primarily be about recent events connected to The Black Hawks, and Gameplay issues directly related to these events. NOT tolerated will be off-topic chatter, spam, random criticism of other organizations (when not directly related to recent events in TBH), etc. We want this to be a high-quality thread that anyone interested in TBH would enjoy reading through in its entirety. This thread will serve as a living history of TBH, not a catalog of random conversations between gameplayers.
The Black Hawks are led by a group of high-ranking officers called The Council of the Hawks. The number of council members and the positions they hold are subject to change by the consensus of the Council. Traditionally, decisions are made by consensus of the Council, although Generals tend to have the final say in most matters. Usually, the Commander-in-Chief is only consulted when a major change in the direction of the region is being considered, or his unique powers (as founder and root admin) are required.
The current Council of the Hawks is:
Council Chairman: General Tramiar
Head of Military: General Jakker
Field Marshal: Major Spartz
Field Marshal: Lieutenant Mall
The Council of the Hawks is advised by a board of players known as the Council Advisory Board. It generally consists of retired Generals who feel like they can still contribute to the region. The CAB, as it is casually referred to, has no hard power in the region, but they have the ear of the council, and thus represent a sort of "soft power." Most major decisions made by the Council will be made with consideration to the advice of the CAB.
The current Council Advisory Board is:
Military Advisor: General Sorenity2
Head of Intelligence: An Obvious Spy
The dynamic promotions system of The Black Hawks is designed to reward troops for contributing to the success of The Black Hawks. In continuous use since April 2008, the ranks have come to take on a certain character, described below:
Private (PVT): A new member of The Black Hawks. Still in training, they have yet to complete their first successful raid.
Private First Class (PFC): A raider is promoted to this rank when they have completed their first successful raid. This promotion represents the end of the training process.
Corporal (CPL): No longer a “new member”, this raider has proven to be reliable and talented.
Sergeant (SGT): A master raider. At this rank, raiders are authorized to plan and organize their own raids, under the supervision of the Council of the Hawks.
Lieutenant (LTN): A master raider with strong leadership potential. This is generally considered the minimum rank for Council membership. This is the first officer rank, and promotions tend to become farther apart once this rank is achieved.
Major (MAJ): This raider has proven to be a strong leader, and a major (get it?) contributor to the success of the region.
Colonel (COL): Just a step below General, this raider is one of the best The Black Hawks has ever seen. This raider is considered vital to the continued success of the region.
General (GEN): Effectively the highest rank, this raider has the final say on most matters involving TBH foreign policy, military policy, and internal policy. Always a Council member and forum admin, Generals represent long-established members of the region entrusted with creating its legacy. Unlike other ranks, when Generals become inactive, they keep their forum mask, although they lose admin power. Sometimes they are also removed from the Council, although on several occasions they have stayed on in the capacity of Military Adviser.
Commander (COM): The autocratic supreme leader of The Black Hawks. Although the Council generally provides leadership to the region, the Commander can override any Council decisions. As stated above, he generally doesn’t get involved unless there is a major change to the ethical direction of TBH, or his unique powers are called for (root admin, founder). Since the refounding of The Black Hawks in June 2007, Red Back has held this rank continuously.
*Fun Fact: At times, there has been a second commander in addition to Red Back, although on the Council, no one but Red Back has ever been given then title of Commander-in-Chief. Sorenity2, Diddly Squitt, and Crushing Our Enemies have been the only raiders ever to serve in this capacity.
Halcones - 08/20/2011
Jakker - 11/26/2011
Rawr - 12/07/2011
Rawr - 12/23/2011
Jakker - 01/07/2012
Rawr - 01/16/2012
Rawr - 01/21/2010
Rawr - 01/29/2012
Rawr - 02/07/2012
Rawr - 03/01/2012
Spartz - 03/03/2012
Spartz - 03/19/2012
Jakker - 04/02/2012
Tramiar - 04/07/2012
Spartz - 05/11/2012
Mall - 05/29/2012
COE - 06/06/12
Jakker - 06/15/12
Spartz - 07/13/12
Jakker - 07/28/12
Sev - 09/24/12
Jamie - 11/24/12
Jakker - 11/24/12
Spartz - 12/01/12
Sev - 12/10/12
***2012 Year in Review, by Jakker***